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Neonatal Encephalopathy and Cerebral Palsy Revisited: The Current State of Knowledge and the Impact of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force Report

Journal of Perinatology volume 25, pages 519–525 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To re-assess obstetrician–gynecologists' knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy after publication of the ACOG/AAP Task Force report.

STUDY DESIGN:

A questionnaire investigating knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy was mailed to 1060 members of ACOG, 337 of whom participated in a similar study in 2001.

RESULTS:

There was a strong association between familiarity with ACOG documentation and knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) and cerebral palsy (CP) (p<0.001). As with obstetricians surveyed in 2001, knowledge gaps remain. Performance was better on practices questions than knowledge questions. About one-third (34.2%) of the physicians said their knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy was poor or deficient; the majority (76%) rated their residency training as inadequate to marginal.

CONCLUSION:

The results indicate better knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy among physicians more familiar with the Task Force report. There is a clear need for emphasis on these topics during training and continuing medical education.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant from the HRSA-MCHB and the CDC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC, USA

    Maria A Morgan PhD, Stanley Zinberg MD & Jay Schulkin PhD

  2. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

    Gary D V Hankins MD

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  1. Maria A Morgan PhD
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  2. Gary D V Hankins MD
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  3. Stanley Zinberg MD
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  4. Jay Schulkin PhD
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Morgan, M., Hankins, G., Zinberg, S. et al. Neonatal Encephalopathy and Cerebral Palsy Revisited: The Current State of Knowledge and the Impact of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force Report. J Perinatol 25, 519–525 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211339

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